Return of the Xiaolin Dragons
by Ripjaws
Summary: Jermaine must assemble the four dragons, Omi, Kimiko, Clay and Raimundo to combat a new evil.
1. The Journey Begins

Chapter 1: The Escape

An explosion was heard in the distance trembling the earth beneath Jermaine causing him to turn back to see the training grounds of his dojo burning in the night.

It had only been a few moments from when the dojo had been attacked. He had tried to fight back but his opponents were numerous. Their immense numbers were not what had left him stunned. No, it was their sheer frightfulness, their horrendous looks, their urge to kill. He did not sense a healthy flow of chi from them. What energy was stored inside them flowed erratically. There was only anger, anguish and rage inside these animals.

If they could even be animals. Jermaine's thoughts ran wild. Their physical features did not resemble any animals he had seen before. They seemed to be a combination of several animals, taking the most dangerous features from the fiercest predators: the claws of a lion, the jaws and teeth of an alligator, the sharp scales of a piranha and multiplying the lust for death tenfold. Each dark creature appeared differently but just as scaly and deadly as the next.

Why had they come here? Who had sent them? Why did they attack the temple? What did they want? The thoughts were endless as they ran through Jermaine's mind as he returned his gaze towards the dark path ahead of him following his fellow monks, the ones who had escaped alive.

There was a somber silence between all the monks who huddled closely together through the back gates of the temple that lay behind them. The gates opened and the monks walked through without exchanging any words. There was no need for words or sentences they were all aware of the danger that was nearby.

Jermaine took a last glance at the temple. It now began to break down, smoke bellowing from the inside blending into the grey sky above where the moon shone. Charred wood falling to the earth where it had once been torn from. A small tear fell down Jermaine's cheek and he passed through the gates without ever looking back.

To Jermaine, it felt like a painfully long time before the smell of blood, ash and fire was out of reach. A small sigh of relief entered his chest when he was finally able to breathe in the fresh air of the forest. Although the silence still remained, Jermaine sensed the relief from the remaining eight monks who seemed to relax the farther the group traveled from the temple.

He was fighting curiosity every second of the path attempting to concentrate on the sharp rocks and vines that could cause him to trip at any second.

Thankfully, the moon lit the path ahead. The monks had decided not to use torches in fear of alerting their attackers. Jermaine looked about thoughtfully. Where were they even traveling to? Where were they going to hide? Or were they going to fight?

_Fight…_The thought passed through Jermaine's mind once more.

He had trained under Master Fung and Master Monk Guan and briefly under Chase Young in the past. But he was still a student. The monks, who were stronger than him with both skill and speed, chose to flee. If they were unable to defeat their hunters, how would he even be able to stand a chance?

_Unless…_Jermaine left the thought unfinished as the monks arrived at a large bolder which Mother Nature appeared to have claimed for herself with the vines, roots, and small beetles completely covering the large rock.

A hooded monk stepped forward into the moonlight which shone upon the boulder and unveiled himself as Master Fung. He touched three points on the boulder then moved his hands forward placing them on the center of the boulder.

Nothing seemed unusual. But Jermaine knew from Master Fung's stance the actions he was performing. Master Fung was propelling his chi in the boulder to move it. It moved backwards slowly revealing a small underground staircase which nature once again encroached.

The monks slowly descended the stairs finally lighting a torch to reveal the path ahead. It was a small narrow hallway, barely enough room for two people to walk side-by-side but enough to allow the group to travel quickly into a larger room.

The room held a dusty armoire at the end and a large circular rug that fit the oval shaped room. Three doors lay at each direction of the room, North, West, East, and South being the hallway from which they had just emerged.

A monk took the torch from Master Fung and paced himself around the room slowly spreading a small bead of fire to each lamp attached to the wall. The room immediately lit up revealing beautifully colored murals on the walls depicting the legendary masters of the past. Jermaine recognized one of the murals as Master Dashi with a young Dojo Konojo Cho wrapped around his arm.

There was a small pause of silence after the torches were lit before Master Fung finally spoke for the first time.

"We will rest here tonight, we have experienced much. All will be dealt with tomorrow."

After these words were said, the monks began to move forward to the dresser at the end of the room. Pulling out mats and pillows and passing them to one another. No words were exchanged. Jermaine gave a simple head nod as a thank you when one of the monks handed him a pillow and a mat

They all slept in a circle spreading out between the four directions. Jermaine wrapped himself in his blankets edging closer to the center and lay back. He watched the flames dance against the darkness, losing himself in their hypnotic motions, letting himself drift away from all of his questions. A face appeared in his thoughts, the face and voice of Omi who smiled at him confidently.

Omi, who had been able to master the element of water by the age of fifteen. Jermaine was now twenty-one only a couple years older than Omi and he still had not mastered the element of lightning.

He was still nulling it over when he finally fell asleep.

The monks had awaken early and apparently had not waken Jermaine who began peer open his eyes. At the end of the room he could hear the monks muttering in a small whisper.

"We cannot use the Shen Gon Wu!" exclaimed one of the monks.

He recognized the voice as Monk Yi.

"You know what will happen!" Yi continued.

"But what if it is our only option?" replied another monk.

Jermaine recognized the second voice, Monk Tsu.

The monks began to break out into an argument, the louder the argument the more Jermaine could hear.

"They have reached the temple!" One of the monks exclaimed.

Jermaine could not make out who the voice belonged to.

"They could destroy the other temples as well!"

The voices began to overlap and Jermaine could no longer distinguish one from the other.

"And who will protect the world then?"

"Who will protect the Shen Gon Wu?"

"Those are safe!"

"Are they!"

"SILENCE!" Jermaine instantly knew who spoke. It was Master Fung who was somehow able to command presence in any situation. "You have awakened our student."

The monks began to peer out from their small huddled circle glaring at Jermaine who lay completely still. Frozen.

Master Fung's back was turned to Jermaine.

How had Master Fung even known he was awake? One of the mysteries of his master but his shame enveloped his curiosity. He had eavesdropped on the monks.

"It's alright Jermaine." Fung said with a soothing voice. "This matter involves all of us. Come. Join us."

Jermaine slowly lifted himself rolling his red mat to the side then slowly walked over to the small group of monks taking a place closer to Master Fung.

"I'm sure you are quite curious about the matter we are discussing."

"Yes." Jermaine replied. "Yes, I am Master Fung. I-" Jermaine quickly glanced at the remaining monks who all glared back at him. "I don't understand why anyone would attack the temple- attack us."

"Unfortunately, none of us have an answer to your question," Master Fung paused then took a deep breath before he continued. "What we do know is there is an evil that not only threatens us, but also this world. An evil we have never encountered before."

"You feel it too?" A shudder crawled up Jermaine's spine as he remembered the grotesque creatures. "Their chi I mean. It felt dark..Cold...I've never felt anything like it…Ever"

"Yes. We felt it as well Jermaine."

The monks nodded their heads slowly, almost as if nodding their head in full agreement would cause them to feel once again the cold energy infused with hatred and lust for blood the creatures had emitted.

Master Fung continued. "But we do not have the numbers or strength our enemy has to defeat our opponents. However, it is our duty that should an evil threaten our world – we must defeat it..."

"I'm ready to fight Master Fung." Jermaine stared at his master. He thought about his trainings, his past, and his friends. It would have to be enough even if it cost him his life. He felt a sense of pride and joy.

"Now is not your time to fight young monk." Master Fung took a deep breath. His pale face looked troubled. "You must assemble the Xiaolin dragons."

Jermaine stared. "What do you mean? Omi? The rest?"

"Yes young monk. Omi, the dragon of water, Kimiko, the dragon of fire, Clay the dragon of earth, Raimundo, the dragon of the wind and finally you Jermaine, the dragon of lightning. Together, your power will be enough to –"

"Do you know what you're asking?" Monk Yi interrupted hastily. "He is still a Xiaolin monk in training. Jermaine has not mastered the element of lightning at all."

"He has had enough training to channel his chi and generate his element." Master Fung replied confidently.

"And then what?" Monk Yi snapped back. "He has no idea how to control such a dangerous element! He risks harming not only himself but the other dragons! We will never defeat whatever evil we are up against without the Xiaolin dragons!"

"The Xiaolin dragons can handle themselves." Monk Tsu interjected quickly. "But what about Jermaine's escape? The forest has now become overcome with those creatures. We are trapped below the surface, but we are also safe. If Jermaine leaves us he may not be able to fight their number or their strength."

"Which is why…" Master Fung reached into his right pocket. "We must assist him with the Shen Gon Wu." He opened his hand to reveal a large coin with a hole in the middle. The Mantis Flip Coin.

There were a few unsteady movements within the room. The monks gazed about the coin as if Master Fung held some form of forbidden material.

"Absolutely not!" Yi said furiously. "You want to bring another evil into this world?"

"This is a necessary evil we must deal with." Master Fung replied quietly.

"I must agree with Yi," replied Monk Shao who was usually a soft spoken much younger monk than the rest. "Activating the Shen Gon Yu is not an option here. Isn't one evil still better than two evils?"

"If Jermaine is not able to escape the forest above us. We will be trapped here and the Xiaolin Dragons will not be assembled. We must fight the threat while it is young" Monk Tsu answered.

Monk Yi was still furious. The lines in his forehead creasing more than ever. "And what if our evils assemble? Have you all thought of that? Our Xiaolin Dragons cannot fight two evils!"

Yi's words appeared to have an effect on the monks who turned to one another and began to mutter between themselves.

"If we were unable to defeat our opponent only the Xiaolin Dragons stand a chance now." Monk Fung hesitated for a moment. "We cannot consider the possibility of risking Jermaine's life if it means the failure to assemble the dragons. Then for sure, all hope is lost."

His words seemed to conquer whatever effect Yi had had on the monks.

Jermaine sat next to Master Fung frustrated, unable to contain his questions. "I don't understand this," Jermaine could keep silent no longer. "What evil are you talking about? The Shen Gon Wu are good. Omi, Kimiko, they used them all the time to fight evil."

There was an unsteady silence in the entire group of monks. Most of them looked down, Yi glared at Master Fung who seemed hesitant to speak.

"I know they can be used for evil things," Jermaine spoke up breaking the silence. "But I'm one of you guys. I only used them for wrong doing once. And that was with-"

"We trust you completely young monk." Master Fung interrupted giving Jermaine a small sense of confidence in himself.

"As it stands the Shen Gon Wu are completely inactive." Monk Tsu began.

"Yea, I know." Jermaine grew a little more frustrated. The monks were not divulging any information "There was no need for them. So you guys put them away after you collected them all."

"No. We did more them put them away," Shao replied. "They're lifeless. No power remains within any of the Shen Gon Wu."

Jermaine became confused. No power left within the Shen Gon Wu? How did that even happen?

"The power is there," Master Fung corrected Shao. "Just dormant. In a stasis, if you will. Unable to be tapped into or activated."

"Why? What happened?" Jermaine questioned.

"Wuya." Yi answered abruptly.

There was a foreboding silence within the room. The only sound that could be heard was the soft crackling fire of the lamps in the room. The monks all looked down, almost ashamed of themselves. Master Fung then raised his head.

"But if we are to set you on your journey to protect the world," Master Fung began. "You will need answers. Answers we can provide."

One of the lamps burned out at the far end of the room. Master Fung lifted himself slowly and walked to the wooden dresser lifting a small brown canister of oil from inside. He approached the lamp filling it slowly with oil then lit it once more using another lamp. He returned to the dresser placing the canister of oil within and closed the door returning to his place next to Jermaine.

"You never met Wuya's true form. And I truly wish you will never have to." Master Fung was stone faced. "I am sure you have heard from Omi, a great deal about the Heylin witch. But simple stories do not convey the evil she tried to reign with 1500 years ago. Destructive and treacherous her wrathful and vile Heylin magic along with herself was sealed within a box by the Great Master Dashi."

"Until she got out…" Jermaine added. He recalled his brief encounter with her in New York and his first Xiaolin Showdown with Omi.

"Yes. Then sealed once more by the Xiaolin Dragons" Master Fung replied.

"We hoped it would be for eternity." Monk Yi butted in. "That the world would never have to endure her poison ever again."

Master Fung dismissed Yi's words and simply continued. "The only way to assure Wuya would never enter this world again was to stop the Shen Gon Wu from ever being used."

"So you hid them right?" Jermaine asked curiously. "Like Master Dashi did?"

"Hiding them was not enough," Answered Master Fung. "It never was, they will always be found and since the Shen Gon Wu are responsible for Wuya's restoration, we had to disable their powers…It was our only choice to ensure her imprisonment was permanent. That she was never released from her box, and she was never restored to power with her malicious Heylin magic."

"But the Shen Gon Wu are helpful," Jermaine reasoned. "In the right hands they helped save the world. More than once!"

"But with Wuya and Chase Young defeated. We felt there was no longer any purpose for the Shen Gon Wu to serve. They were a power we were willing to sacrifice for the world to be in balance and ultimately at peace." Master Fung played with the Mantis Flip Coin between his fingers.

There was no glimmer to the coin. The glimmer Jermaine knew all too well from being poorly influenced by Chase Young to fight against Omi. The Shen Gon Wu had almost an addictive quality to them being so mysteriously magical.

He had used the Shen Gon Wu before; his only mission was to reach Omi. If he was quick enough he could travel through the forest and reach the beaches by tomorrow's nightfall.

He tore his eyes away from the coin and looked at Monk Yi. "You have been a faithful teacher to me Monk Yi. All of you have. I can do this. I know I can. Even if my life is lost after gathering the Xiaolin Dragons, I will know it was for a good cause. To preserve the peace of the world. The peace you have all told me is worth living and fighting for. We've beat Wuya twice we can do it again. But we have another evil that threatens this world an evil we have a chance of beating. I can do this. I promise."

Monk Yi glared down at Jermaine and took a deep sigh. "You must be quick Jermaine. Pay no attention to the trickery that lies above us. Escape this forest and assemble the dragons. Do not waste anytime. This is a mission, you must not fail."

Monk Yi's stare was intimidating almost as if Jermaine failed he would have to deal with the Monk himself. A threat which at the moment seemed much larger than what lay for him outside these walls on the surface.

"Do we all agree?" asked Master Fung. "To release the seal on the Shen Gon Wu? Bringing their great power to this world again?"

Each monk sitting in the circle looked to their side discussing the matter slightly nodding and then turning their heads.

"If you believe this is the way Master Fung. Then we lay our trust in you," Monk Shao turned to Jermaine. "And Jermaine as well."

The monks all agreed putting their hands forward and nodding.

"Then we will do what must be done." Master Fung placed the Mantis Flip Coin in the center of the circle. "We will now release the power of the Shen Gon Wu."

Monk Yi, Monk Shao, Monk Tsu and Master Fung put their hands forward. For few brief moments nothing happened then instantly a bright light broke out in the room blinding him. He could feel the chi flowing from the center of the circle in enormous waves. Then just as fast as it had started the flow came to a stop. The coin in the middle of the circle sizzling, the shiny glimmer had now returned.

"It is done." Master Fung's voice was burdened with a heavy pant. He was weakened. "You must leave quickly. The creatures will not find us but they will surely be drawn to this area." He picked the coin from the floor. "I am unable to trust you with the most powerful Shen Gon Wu but these will have to do."

Master Fung reached into the bag at his side pulling from it a golden helmet with small spikes emitting from the top.

"The Helmet of Jong will grant the vision you lack behind you." Master Fung continued to reach into his satchel pulling out a golden slanted trinket with a large red bead at the end and a small board with a what appeared to be a tongue on one side "The Falcon's Eye will let you see through solid objects and grant you far sight. And the Tongue of Saiping will allow you to talk to animals" He then reached towards the sizzling coin. "And finally. The Mantis Flip Coin, whoever holds the coin will leap with the skill of a mantis."

Jermaine placed the items in his satchel knowing a long journey lay before him.


	2. Monk Lao

Once Jermaine had emerged the forest had changed dramatically. The once vibrant leaves of the forest which had once been various shades of green were not withered grey. The rays of the sun which often gave an aura of warmth and light to the forest were not covered by the grey clouds which loomed over the forest tree tops.

A strong stench overwhelmed Jermaine as he emerged from the underground hideout. The smell made him nauseous and he recognized it immediately. It was blood. Blood mixed with the scent of rotting flesh, traveling through the air currents rapidly. He took a quick glimpse of his surroundings.

It was quiet…Quieter than the forest had ever been. No movements. No sounds.

Absolutely no movements in sight. The creatures of the forest were all missing. Where the animals? The birds? The groundhogs? The rabbits? Even the small buzzing sounds of the insects were suddenly gone. The forest was still. Dead still.

The sooner Jermaine made his escape from this deadly zone the better. As curious as he was to find out where the creatures of the forest had gone he did not want to share their same fate.

According to Master Fung, the closest Xiaolin dragon would be Omi who was traveling through the Middle East helping build the Xiaolin temples. He could not help but think his task would be much easier if Master Fung had given him the Golden Tiger Claws, a Shen Gon Wu capable of transporting him anywhere in the world. Unfortunately, for safety purposes the Shen Gon Wu had been scattered in various temples across the world. Jermaine sighed as he looked down into his satchel which held the least offensive Shen Gon Wu of the bunch.

Despite the shortcomings of the Shen Gon Wu he was still a Xiaolin Dragon. He had to assemble his comrades and beat the evil which threatened the world. His first challenge would be escaping this forest. Jermaine reached into his satchel pulling out a shiny crescent shaped object and placed it over his right eye.

"Falcon's Eye!" Jermaine said aloud.

It had been years since he had used a Shen Gon Wu and even this defensive Shen Gon Wu gave Jermaine a sudden rush of power. The pupil of his right eye expanded immensely and he was able to see farther than he had ever seen before. Objects which would block a normal human being's sight suddenly became transparent and by concentrating even more he was able to see as far as a mile's distance.

Jermaine thoroughly scanned the area. Even looking closely under the bark of trees and the unturned rocks of the forest. Every single small critter or creature had disappeared without a trace. The beetles which made their homes burrowing into the ground had left their nests abandoned.

If the animals of the forest had been killed. Then where were their carasses? No bone, skin, or blood had remained. Only the scent of dead flesh lingering in the air.

Jermaine zoomed in further with the falcon's eye locating the exit of the forest. He had it…If he could just make it to-

"Aaagggggggghhhhhhh!" A loud shriek echoed through the forest interrupting Jermaine's thoughts.

Jermaine spun around quickly seeking the source of the scream with the Falcon's Eye. A quarter of a mile's distance away one of the monks from the temple was running away franticly from a dark figure chasing him closely. Jermaine shifted his eye towards the figure which continuously jumped from branch to branch hovering over the monk, almost as if it were playing with its prey. It clearly had an advantage. Perhaps playing with its food was part of its sadistic nature.

Jermaine reached into his satchel grasping for the shiny coin Master Fung had handed to him. He flipped the Mantis Flip Coin.

Catching the coin in his right hand a powerful rush of energy ran through his veins. His limbs suddenly felt loose and light, like feathers. He quickly shook off the addictive feeling and leaped into the air. A jump that raised him twenty feet of the ground. Jermaine grabbed a branch and began leaping through the trees keeping a close eye on the monk running his way who would soon be dead if he did not hurry.

The dark creature leapt from its branch landing on top of the monk sending him crashing to the ground. The monk detached himself from the creature rolling away. The creature released a loud shriek then charged towards the monk, but Jermaine had reached the monk just in time. Channeling the chi of his elemental dragon he raised his left arm into the air and pointed his right arm towards the dark creature. A loud crack of sound boomed from the skies as a bolt of lightning hit Jermaine channeling through him quickly and being released once more through his right arm directed toward the creature. The bolt of lightning hit the creature midair sending in crashing into a tree stump yards away.

Jermaine attempted to grasp his breath. Having used two Shen Gon Wu and now his element he was quickly running out of energy. The dark creature began to rise again slowly gaining its footing. The bolt of lightning had not been enough to stop the creature, only injure it.

Jermaine's energy began drifting away. Maybe one more lightning bolt, at most two…But that was pushing it. If he attempted to hit the creature again he could not risk falling unconscious in the middle of a fight.

The creature fell to the ground, grunted then evaporated into small dark speckles.

Jermaine released a large sigh of relief quickly thinking of his encounter. If one blow to these creatures was enough to kill them then their only strength must be in sheer numbers. He could still remember the sheer numbers of them at the temple and how they had overpowered all the monks.

This cold fact quickly hit Jermaine. Sheer numbers? If their power emerges with their numbers then they must always remain together. Jermaine stood still. If one of the creatures was here there was no doubt in his mind there were more nearby. How long did he have? It occurred to him how little he knew about these creatures. Did they speak a language? Were they animals of some sort? Did they communicate at all? Through sounds, or maybe telepathy? Was there any organization to these creatures at all? Or were they here to simply kill?

Jermaine began to scan his surroundings but the vision in his right eye faded. The pupil which had previously been enlarged quickly shrinked to its original size and the Falcon's Eye which had once hovered over his right eye slowly fell to the ground. Jermaine's energy had depleted.

Jermaine placed the Shen Gon Wu into his satchel. There was no time to spare, an attack from another creature would cost him his life. But why did he suddenly feel so weak? At the beginning of the fight he had felt fine, enough energy to fight at two or even three of these creatures. Now, a single thunder bolt would render him unconscious. Did the Shen Gon Wu require more energy than he remembered?

He quickly dismissed his questions and turned to the monk who had luckily remain unharmed.

"Are you ok?" Jermaine asked.

"Yes…" The monk said raising his head revealing himself to be Monk Lao. "I think so…"

"It seems like I got to you just in time." A small part of Monk Lao still irked him…The monk did not have a single scratch on him.

"Yes…yes you did." Monk Lao still seemed a little distraught.

"Did you come from the temple?" Jermaine asked wondering what the Monk's reply would be considering if he had, how he had escaped unscathed.

"No…I was delivering a message to the Eastern temple yesterday morning…A smoke signal had been sent at night from our temple and I immediately returned…only to find…No one remaining…"

"We were attacked…" Jermaine glanced at his surroundings again, remembering more of those creatures were likely nearby. "Did you find any survivors at the temple?"

"I did not have time to look…Are you with the rest of the monks?" Monk Lao quickly glanced the area behind Jermaine.

"I was…They asked me to retrieve the Xiaolin dragons…"

"I must rest…Are you able to bring me to them?"

Jermaine pondered this question. If he brought Monk Lao back to the other monks he would be further away from his destination of finally escaping the forest. He did not feel his energy returning and whether his energy would ever return. Backtracking to the hideout and escaping the forest were both immense risks.

"My priority is Master Fung's priority and I must assemble the dragons and bring you to safety." Jermaine replied, pondering if he had made the correct choice. "It'll be easier to leave the forest in our current position. Are you able to walk?"

"Yes…" Monk Lao brought himself to his feet.

"Well have to move rather quickly. I have a strong feeling there will be more."


	3. The Water Dragon

The monks sat in a large circle around a crackling fire. Occasionally a spark from the fire would fly quickly into the air lighting up a monk's face before extinguishing itself.

"I can still feel Jermaine's presence." Monk Tsu said pouring himself a small glass of tea.

"Do you think he'll have enough strength to escape the forest and assemble the dragons?" Monk Yi said addressing Master Fung.

"All FOUR of the dragons…" Monk Tsu butted back in as if the rest of the monks had forgotten there were more then just a few.

"I truly hope so," Master Fung replied. "The entire fate of our world lies in the power of the Xiaolin dragons."

Jermaine had just arrived at the edge of the forest with the injured monk Lao. He set Monk Lao behind a tree before slowly making sure his surroundings were safe. The forest now had small movements and sounds emerging from dark or far away areas. Whatever was lurking in the small brushes around him when he took a glance would quickly scurry away or become silent and still. Perhaps the sounds came from whatever surviving creatures still remained in the forest. Jermaine quickly ignored the annoyance of the noises. If they were from a threatening source it would have made its presence known by now.

"What shall we do?" Monk Lao asked.

As much as Jermaine refused to admit it, moving the injured monk was an extreme burden and had slowed him down immensely. The sun was beginning to set and if Jermaine remained in the forest he would surely die. Setting up camp would attract too much attention; he had to escape this forest before the sun set.

Jermaine reached for the Falcon's Eye in his pocket. He had regained enough energy to briefly scan the area and found several of the dark creatures roaming the very edge of the forest. He returned the Falcon's Eye to his pocket.

Jermaine thought to himself for a moment. It made sense. His travel in the forest had been almost a clean escape, it had been too easy. The dark creatures were roaming the outer edges of the forest to assure that no one would leave the forest alive. If he broke for the edge he would be able escape alone but he could not leave the injured monk behind. Attempting to slowly move for the exit would be too dangerous; if they were caught the both of them would likely perish. The only solution would be a diversion. He would need to be quick, very quick. Quick enough to allow Monk Lao the appropriate amount of time in order to escape the forest alive.

"I have a plan." Jermaine said crouching down to Monk Lao's level.

Monk Lao looked confused.

"I'll have to make a diversion. When I attract their attention you need to run."

"What?" Monk Lao still seem puzzled.

"Just keep running towards the sun until you're out of the forest."

The sunlight was quickly dwindling. Jermaine could feel the forest gradually becoming frigid as the rays of sun which usually brought warmth to the area began to disappear behind the mountains.

Jermaine brought Monk Lao to his feet. "Be ready."

Jermaine wasted no time and flipped the Mantis Flip Coin into the air with his thumb catching it in his right hand. The familiar lightness immediately rushed through his limbs and he leapt into the air catching a branch and flinging himself onto the side of a tree before leaping to another much larger branch.

The creatures quickly became aware of the noise and hovered above the ground in his direction. Leaping from branch to branch, the creatures ran below him making erratic sounds and noises as they managed to somehow keep up with Jermaine's pace.

With the Helmet of Jong, Jermaine could see the monk behind him. Monk Lao was not moving. Why wasn't he moving?

Jermaine flipped himself over a large branch landing carefully on another branch with his feet. He had gained some distance between himself and the creatures. Monk Lao stood crouched under the same tree. Was he scared? Was he too hurt to move? Jermaine realized he had forgotten to assess the situation before jumping into action. This plan may have just cost both of them their lives.

Jermaine retraced his steps giving the creatures below him an advantage in distance. The creatures would reach Monk Lao before they reached Jermaine. Surely, they would spot an easier target. With the small pocket of energy he had stored away he drew upon his remaining energy and threw forward a bolt of lightning hitting an enormous branch yards ahead of him. The large branch crashed to the ground crushing three of the creatures below him. Jermaine quickly leapt over them landing on the ground next to Monk Lao. Jermaine threw the monk over his shoulders and bolted towards the exit of the forest. The power of the Mantis Flip Coin had now faded. He was running on pure adrenaline. The vision behind him began to blur as the power fueling the Helmet of John slowly began to dissipate.

Jermaine was almost at the exit of the forest…Yards away…Feet away…He was almost there!

The sunlight immediately faded away and a chill ran down Jermaine's spine. A few more seconds and he would be clear! But a loud thud in front of Jermaine quickly stopped him in his tracks. One of the creatures had dropped down from the trees blocking his path, but this one was different, much larger than its smaller counterparts. Large, ape-like, scaly with blood-shot pupils. One by one the smaller creatures began to drop from the trees surrounding Jermaine in a circle, growling at their soon-to-be dinner.

He was completely surrounded. Any chance of escaping through the tree tops had eroded when he had ran out of energy to fuel the Mantis Flip Coin. He placed Monk Lao down on the ground. Jermaine moved into a fighting stance. Not a single ounce of chi remained in his body, but he would fight with courage and die honorably. The larger creature let out a slow, deep growl. Jermaine could feel his legs beginning to shake. Is this what the brief moments before a warrior's death felt like? Fear quickly overcame the sense of honor and courage he had previously felt. Jermaine could sense the creature's intentions, no pain, no remorse just pure rage. This creature was going to tear Jermaine to shreds.

Heaving heavily it roared aloud charging straight for Jermaine.

Fight with courage and honor, Jermaine reminded himself. Courage and honor.

It was a split second before reaching Jermaine that the creature was flung to the side crashing against a large tree. The smaller creatures which surrounded Jermaine immediately turned their heads searching for the unknown force which had sent their leader flying into the tree trunk yards away from Jermaine.

It was only a second later Jermaine found the answer. It was impossible. A tidal wave began to roar its way toward him.

A tidal wave? In the forest? There was no ocean for hundreds of miles away from this location.

But there it was, to Jermaine's disbelief, the small tidal wave rushed forward crashing into the creatures with an immense force. The tidal wave rushed forward heading straight towards Jermaine. There was no escape. He shielded himself with his arms preparing for the impact.

He clenched his eyes shut waiting for a large rush of cold forceful water to sweep him away with the rest of the creatures. Nothing. The sound of running water peaked Jermaine's curiosity. He slowly opened his eyes. The tidal wave had stopped only an inch from his face and now became a tall wall of water with the arms length of ten men. He could feel the cool mist from the wall of water tickling his skin.

Crashing to the ground, the wave dispersed sending large water drops flying into the air. A small stream of water formed into the ground before slowly sinking in the grass below him.

Jermaine looked before him. The creatures which had surrounded him remained still.

Dead still.

As if they were statues.

"Looks like I must have arrived just in time." A familiar voice from the shadows emerged.

Jermaine quickly turned. The figure from the shadows became clearer in the last ray of sunlight which slowly began to fade away and shine off the familiar figure's bald head.

"Omi!" Jermaine exclaimed.

"Your homey." Omi replied.

It had already been a relief to be saved from death but Jermaine could not help but chuckle after seeing Omi had retained some of his humor from their years at the Xiaolin temple.


	4. The Golden Tiger Claws

Although Jermaine had every desire to scream to Omi about these past few days, Omi had insisted Jermaine get his rest. And Omi was right, Jermaine was exhausted. The stress of the forest had taken a toll on Jermaine's health and despite the security of Omi's presence he still did not feel himself regaining his strength.

It was a big relief to be awoken by the sun's rays and warmth. When trapped in the forest Jermaine doubted whether or not he would ever see the sun again. Suddenly last night's happenings seemed like a distant nightmare.

Jermaine looked over at Omi who was preparing that morning's breakfast. Some small fish, stale bread, and hot tea. Jermaine's stomach grumbled. He wasn't sure whether it was out of hunger or lack of enthusiasm at an unappetizing meal. He hated feelings this way, at least he was eating. It tore him up inside thinking of how the monks were managing in the underground hideout. How long would they be down there? Were they still alive? If they were how long were their supplies going to last?

Jermaine devoured the meal quickly then remembered Monk Lao. He took a glance behind him, the monk was fast asleep.

"You are fed and well rested?" Omi asked interrupting Jermaine's thoughts.

"Yes Omi," Jermaine replied. "Thank you…But I must ask. How did you find me in the forest?"

"I can only carry one Shen Gon Wu with me at all times," Omi reached into his satchel withdrew a small blue orb with a crystal interior.

"The Orb of Tornami." Jermaine muttered.

He had remembered the significant Shen Gon Wu from his past adventures with Omi. This relic was Omi's most prized possession. An item that truly made Omi into a Xiaolin master.

"Correct. As with the rest of the Shen Gon Wu it remained inactive…Until yesterday."

"When Master Fung had activated the power." Jermaine recalled.

"He released the binding that sealed the power of the Shen Gon Wu."

Jermaine remembered the discussions the monks carried when they had debated releasing the bindings.

"Now. What has happened in my absence?" Omi began to extinguish the fire he had used to cook the fish with his foot. A few pieces of ash rose into the air as the fire began hissing loudly.

Jermaine recounted everything. The attack on the temple, the monk hideout, the releasing of the Shen Gon Wu, and finally encountering Monk Lao and attempting to save themselves from the creatures in the forest.

"And then we finally ran into you." Jermaine continued to thank Omi incessantly towards the end of his story. He owed him his life.

"I am glad Master Fung is alright." Omi said placing the supplies of the night before back into his satchel.

"He's trapped in the forest…We can try to save him but-"

"Master Fung gave us a mission," Omi interrupted. "We must find Kimiko, Clay and Raimundo as Master Fung requested."

Jermaine gave the topic a second thought. As much as he wished to obey Master Fung's orders he pondered how long his master and the other monks could survive in that hideout. How long would the food and water supply last? How long till the creatures sensed the monk's presence and were able to break into the hideout?

"What happens after that?" Jermaine asked. "We don't even know what we're up against."

"Once we have are able to contact Kimiko, Clay and Raimundo we will return to Master Fung."

"What about Monk Lao?" Jermaine pointed to the sleeping monk who had still not awaken despite the continuous noises Omi made as he put away the supplies.

"We will drop him off at the Eastern temple."

With the recent string of events Jermaine had completely forgotten about the other temples. "Have there been any more attacks?"

"I'm not sure. When I returned from my trip early and when I was resting at the Southern temple we had not yet been attacked."

Jermaine hoped the creatures were not moving in waves from temple to temple wiping out the monks. He remained silent as Omi continued.

"While I would like to return to the Southern temple we must head to the Eastern temple."

"Why?" Jermaine asked.

"Traveling to find the three Xiaolin Dragons will consume too much time…Unfortunately, time is not on our side. Even here I can sense a dark presence drawing near. Something is happening…"

Jermaine still had regrets of leaving Master Fung trapped in a dying forest.

"We will need more Shen Gon Wu if we plan to defend ourselves and in order to assemble the rest of the Xiaolin Dragons as quickly as possible the Eastern Temple has exactly what we seek."

"What we seek?" Jermaine asked quietly.

"We will have to obtain the Golden Tiger Claws."


End file.
